# Lil Keed
**Lil Keed** (born Raqhid Render, 1998, Atlanta, Georgia; died 13 May 2022, Los Angeles, California) was an American rapper signed to [Young Thug](https://www.edgepedia.org/young-thug)'s YSL Records and 300 [Entertainment](https://www.edgepedia.org/entertainment), known for a high-register, melodic trap style and for his 2019 debut studio album *Long Live Mexico*.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia; 13 May 2022 in Los Angeles, California, at age 24[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lil-keed-mn0003770751/biography) |
| Cause of death | Eosinophilia, announced by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner[2](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-new-song-long-way-to-go-released-listen/) |
| Label | YSL Records (Young Stoner Life) / 300 Entertainment[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lil-keed-long-live-mexico/) |
| Breakout album | *Long Live Mexico*, released 14 June 2019; reached number 26 on the Billboard chart, the strongest commercial showing of his career[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lil-keed-mn0003770751/biography) |
| Recognition | Named a 2020 XXL Freshman[4](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed/) |
| Final lifetime release | *Trapped on Cleveland 3*, 7 August 2020[5](https://www.allmusic.com/album/trapped-on-cleveland-3-mw0003413238) |
| Posthumous album | *Keed Talk to 'Em 2*, released 17 March 2023, preceded by the single "Long Way to Go"[6](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-posthumous-album-detailed-new-song-shared-listen/) |
## Early life and start in rap
Render grew up in Atlanta and began freestyling with friends as a 16-year-old high schooler. He decided to pursue rap seriously after the death of a close friend, Rudy, who also rapped, and his music heated up locally within a year or two[7](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-interview-the-break/). He kicked off his rap career in 2016[8](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/).
## YSL Records and style
After his 2018 mixtape *Trapped On Cleveland 2*, Keed was signed to Young Thug's YSL Records; the two were connected by having grown up in the same Cleveland Avenue apartments in Atlanta[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lil-keed-long-live-mexico/). On his first few releases his warbly, high-register style was borrowed directly from Young Thug, making him something of a protégé, with several collaborations and a shared apartment complex behind the resemblance[9](https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-live-mexico-mw0003292837).
Keed's take on that delivery diverged from peers who cleaned up the rough edges of Thug's sound. His music was full of vocal bursts, ad-lib flare-ups, light melodies at varying paces and volumes, and cracking high notes; Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre, a senior writer at the publication, called him a "human soundboard"[10](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/lil-keed-had-more-to-give/). XXL described him as pairing melodic flair with sing-song flows and falsetto[8](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/). He also credited Young Thug as a business model: "Young Thug has influenced me as far as like, how to conduct business and how to be a businessman," Keed said in his XXL Freshman interview[8](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/).
His younger brother, the rapper Lil Gotit, was YSL-affiliated but not signed to the label, and the two collaborated, notably on "Pass It Out"[11](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2021/02/03/young-thugs-ysl-label-is-the-engine-behind-many-of-atlantas-emerging-stars/) • [10](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/lil-keed-had-more-to-give/).
## Discography
Keed's releases traced a move from imitation to his own voice. AllMusic's discography lists *Trapped on Cleveland 2* (2018), *Keed Talk to 'Em* (2018), *Long Live Mexico* (2019), *Trapped on Cleveland 3* (2020), and the posthumous *Keed Talk to 'Em 2* (2023)[9](https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-live-mexico-mw0003292837).
*Long Live Mexico*, a 20-track, roughly 63-minute debut studio album on Young Stoner Life and 300 Entertainment, was the turning point. Pitchfork's review found that Keed, who had been "little more than a serviceable, occasionally special, replacement Thug," finally emerged as his own entity, using Thug's high-pitched, mush-mouthed delivery as a foundation rather than a template[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lil-keed-long-live-mexico/). Standout tracks included "Oh My God" over a JetsonMade beat, the soothing guitar instrumental "Snake," and "Million Dollar Mansion" with Young Thug himself[3](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lil-keed-long-live-mexico/). Commercially it reached number 26 on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) chart, his best showing[1](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lil-keed-mn0003770751/biography).
*Trapped on Cleveland 3*, released 7 August 2020, was his final release during his lifetime[5](https://www.allmusic.com/album/trapped-on-cleveland-3-mw0003413238). His collaborations included features alongside Future and [Travis Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/travis-scott), such as the "Wavy (Remix)" with Travis Scott on *Trapped on Cleveland 3*[10](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/lil-keed-had-more-to-give/) • [8](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/).
## Death and posthumous releases
Keed died on 13 May 2022 in Los Angeles at age 24. His brother Lil Gotit confirmed the death on Instagram, and a representative confirmed it to XXL; the label 300 Entertainment released a statement calling him "an incredible talent" and "a devoted father, brother, and son"[8](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/). His death came days after Young Thug, Gunna, and other YSL associates were hit with RICO charges, though Keed was not arrested; he had responded to the indictment by saying, "YSL is a family, YSL is a label, YSL is a way of life, YSL is a lifestyle, YSL is not a gang"[8](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/) • [10](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/lil-keed-had-more-to-give/).
The cause of death was later announced as eosinophilia, a condition involving elevated levels of a type of white blood cell, by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner[2](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-new-song-long-way-to-go-released-listen/). At the time of his death he was working on the album *Keed Talk to 'Em 2*, according to his mother, Tonnie "HoodMama" Woods-Reed[2](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-new-song-long-way-to-go-released-listen/).
The first posthumous single, "Long Way to Go," was released on 3 February 2023, and the posthumous album *Keed Talk to 'Em 2* followed on 17 March 2023, with features from Young Thug, Big Sean, NAV, Trippie Redd, [Cordae](https://www.edgepedia.org/cordae), and Lil Gotit, among others[2](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-new-song-long-way-to-go-released-listen/) • [6](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-posthumous-album-detailed-new-song-shared-listen/). A review in *The Fuckee's Hymn* found the posthumous album fell short of the quality of Keed's prior run, which it characterized as the "sublime melodies" of the original *Keed Talk to 'Em*, the "immaculate beats" of *Long Live Mexico*, and the "adventurous flow patterns" of *Trapped on Cleveland 3*[12](https://inreviewonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Volume-1-Issue-13.pdf).
Keed died in the same year that the YSL indictment was handed down, alongside prominent Atlanta rappers [Trouble](https://www.edgepedia.org/trouble-rapper) and [Takeoff](https://www.edgepedia.org/takeoff-rapper)[13](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/how-the-ysl-trial-impacts-atlantas-music-scene/OYMLDI2KB5CNRABZ53KITNXTOE/).
## References
1. [Lil Keed — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lil-keed-mn0003770751/biography)
2. [Lil Keed's New Song "Long Way to Go" Released: Listen, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-new-song-long-way-to-go-released-listen/)
3. [Lil Keed: Long Live Mexico Album Review, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/lil-keed-long-live-mexico/)
4. [Lil Keed - 2020 XXL Freshman, XXL](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed/)
5. [Lil Keed: Trapped on Cleveland 3 Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/trapped-on-cleveland-3-mw0003413238)
6. [Lil Keed's Posthumous Album Detailed, New Song Shared: Listen, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/news/lil-keed-posthumous-album-detailed-new-song-shared-listen/)
7. [The Break Presents: Lil Keed, XXL](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-interview-the-break/)
8. [Lil Keed Dead at 24, XXL](https://www.xxlmag.com/lil-keed-dead/)
9. [Lil Keed: Long Live Mexico Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/long-live-mexico-mw0003292837)
10. [Lil Keed Had More to Give, Pitchfork](https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/lil-keed-had-more-to-give/)
11. [Young Thug's YSL Label Is the Engine Behind Many of Atlanta's Emerging Stars, Radio 88.8](https://radiox.cms.socastsrm.com/2021/02/03/young-thugs-ysl-label-is-the-engine-behind-many-of-atlantas-emerging-stars/)
12. [The Fuckee's Hymn, Volume 1, Issue 13, InReview Online](https://inreviewonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Volume-1-Issue-13.pdf)
13. [How the Young Thug gang trial has affected the Atlanta music scene, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution](https://www.ajc.com/news/crime/how-the-ysl-trial-impacts-atlantas-music-scene/OYMLDI2KB5CNRABZ53KITNXTOE/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Hip hop scenes worldwide › Artists, groups, and people: Hip hop scenes worldwide › Southern US rap (Atlanta, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, Florida) › Atlanta and Georgia rap*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license